Kyoto Protocol: Nothing Lasts Forever
Kyoto Protocol
Nothing Lasts Forever
Kyoto Protocol are back. With their powerful grunge and radio-rock tinged sound, the band have proven to be amongst Malaysia’s most enduring indie rock acts, and over their 12-year career, it’s not been hard to see why. Taking a brief listen to their debut LP, An Album, the band consistently delivered chunky riffs and infectious hooks that were heavily indebted to the sounds of the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, whether it was the hard-hitting radio hit Pussycat, or the fan favourite Gimme Nothing. Leaning on their signature blend of uncompromising songwriting and keen pop rock sensibilities, it was a golden formula the band wielded as they won over the hearts of fans, with legions of converts in Malaysia and across the region.
Kyoto Protocol never strayed too far away from this formula, but subsequent releases also proved that the band wasn’t simply a one-trick pony. Their sophomore LP Catch These Men (which was recorded live) brought a fresh, raw energy to the table with standout bangers like Still Alive, and the memorable tribute to their hometown KL I Love You. In 2018, they broadened their palettes as they drew from wider varieties of indie rock and post-punk for their third effort, The Pen Is Mightier. It proved to feature Kyoto Protocol’s most focused and cohesive songwriting since their debut: whether it was the exhilarating drive of Delta Wing or emotive melancholy of The End, The Pen Is Mightier was in equal parts soaring and earnest, which made it an extremely solid effort all around.
Arriving at their latest single after three long years, they don’t seem to have lost a step on Nothing Lasts Forever. A sentimental ode to the transient nature of things, the track leans deeper into the refined aesthetic of their last album, with its searing guitar leads, understated keys, and an airtight rhythm section. In short, Kyoto Protocol sounds as good as they’ve ever had.
“Nothing lasts forever / It’s nothing we can mend / We tried to help the helpless / We defend,” frontman Fuad Alabaster sings in Eddie Vedder-esque drawls. There’s an oddly empowering sense of acceptance within its lyrics: be it the changing tides in the music industry, the effects of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, or simply getting on in the years, Alabaster’s sentiments hit profoundly close to home in whichever way you choose to interpret it. The music encapsulates this feeling as well, wielding a steady, forward-facing drive that perfectly reflects the song’s message.
That being said, Nothing Lasts Forever’s approach to its songwriting is simply put, rather modest, with a tendency to fall back a little too comfortably on its Foo Fighters-esque refrains (“Understand, understand,” he harmonises with his band just like Mr. Grohl). As a result, it just isn’t as immediately arresting or emotionally potent as their last LP, with moments that sometimes feel painfully derivative. With their bombastic arrangements and triumphant sound, the choices make sense – unfortunately, to long-time rock listeners, it robs the track of any particularly striking moments.
Nonetheless, Nothing Lasts Forever remains a worthy celebration of how far the band has come together. A solid addition to Kyoto Protocol’s prolific catalogue, the track is a well-produced, grounded rocker with a powerfully resonant message – and that, in my book, is a winner.
Check out the music video for Nothing Lasts Forever here:
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